Method and apparatus for coding and linking electrical appliances for control and status report

• US 8,170,722 B1
• Filed: 12/09/2010
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elbex Video Limited (Elbex Japan Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Elbex Video Limited (Elbex Japan Ltd.)
• Inventors: Elberbaum, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Decady, Albert
• Assistant Examiner(s): STEVENS, THOMAS H
• Application Number:
  US12/963,876
• Time in Patent Office: 509 Days
• Field of Search: 700/3, 700/9, 700/20, 700/32, 700/295, 714/E11.04, 455/3.03, 455/92, 455/151.1, 455/352, 455/353, 455/408, 455/419
• US Class Current: 700/295
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/00 Data switching networks interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units G06F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2807 Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/281 indicating a format for calling an appliance service function in a home automation network for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025

Abstract

A coding method and apparatus for linking electrical appliances for control and status reporting by arbitrarily appending the appliances remote control protocol with the premise'"'"'s room/zone code for identifying the appliance location and ID-code to operate on the basis of the appliance type and function, sub header code define the command nature, a blank header identifies the signal and a checksum trailer ends the five byte command for operating a range of appliances, lights and LED illuminators, locally and in the different rooms, bathrooms, kitchen and laundry including provision for extending the commands when needed. Current sensors for power outlets and power cables linked via lightguides or fiber optic use same codes for reporting statuses of and current consumption by the appliances and lights to the video interphone or the shopping terminal. LED bulbs are coded through an optical transceiver accessed through the rear of the bulb socket.

Claims

1. A method to integrate an electrical operated appliance into an automation network of premises by introducing an identifying data of at least one of a location and a type of said electrical operated appliance via one of loading said identified data into a memory associated with said electrical operated appliance for storing setting data and appending original commands protocol of a remote control of said electrical operated appliance;

said location is arbitrary set and said electrical operated appliance is operated by at least one of receiving operate command and responding by transmitting status command via at least one of a remote control circuit included in said apparatus and a relay circuit, said remote control circuit include a digital signal processor, at least one of a receiver and a transmitter for at least one of receive and transmit signal of said remote control and at least one of a setting switch and said memory, said method comprising the steps of;

a. assigning arbitrarily said location to said premises;

b. introducing said data via said at least one of a setting switch and loading said data into said memory for at least one of said storing and appending;

c. updating commands of said automation network with particulars selected from a group comprising said location, said type, a portion of original commands, a whole of said original commands, a portion of the appended commands, the whole of said appended commands and combinations thereof; and

d. propagating a signal between said automation network and said electrical operated appliance for at least one of operating said electrical operated appliance and acknowledging status of at least one of said electrical operated appliance and said relay circuit.

2. The method to integrate an electrical operated appliance into an automation network according to claim 1, wherein said signal is selected from a group comprising a visual light signal, an IR signal, a UV signal, an RF signal, a low voltage electrical signal and combinations thereof.

3. The method to integrate an electrical operated appliance into an automation network according to claim 1, wherein said signal is at least one of an IR signal and a visual light signal and said at least one of a receiver and a transmitter include an optical access for receiving said commands via one of a lightguide and in air in line of sight.

4. The method to integrate an electrical operated appliance into an automation network according to claim 1, wherein said signal is at least one of an IR signal and a visual light signal and said receiver and said transmitter are packaged into a transceiver with a single optical access for bidirectionally propagating said commands via a single lightguide.

5. The method to integrate an electrical operated appliance into an automation network according to claim 1, wherein a local location is included in the appended protocols in addition to said arbitrarily assigned location for operating said electrical operated appliance from within an appliance location.

6. The method to integrate an electrical operated appliance into an automation network according to claim 5, wherein said electrical operated appliance is programmed to respond to commands selected from a group comprising original commands, appended commands when a data match, said appended commands when said data is local, said network commands when said data match, said network commands when said data is local and combinations thereof.

7. The method to integrate an electrical operated appliance into an automation network according to claim 1, wherein one of a wireless remote control unit of said electrical operated appliance and said automation network is used for loading at least one of said data and command particulars into said memory of at least one of said electrical operated appliance and said relay circuit, wherein said command particulars pertain to at least one of said operating and acknowledging of said electrical operated appliance via one of direct and said relay circuit.

8. The method to integrate an electrical operated appliance into an automation network according to claim 1, wherein said relay circuit is selected from a group comprising a converter circuit for converting electrical signal to light signal, light signal to electrical signal, electrical signal to IR signal, IR signal to electrical signal, electrical signal to RF signal, RF signal to electrical signal, light signal to IR signal, IR signal to Light signal, light signal to RF signal, RF signal to light signal, IR signal to RF signal, RF signal to IR signal, electrical signal to buffered electrical signal, IR signal to buffered IR signal, RF signal to buffered RF signal, light signal to buffered light signal and combinations thereof for propagating the signals at least one of one way and bidirectional;

a driver circuit for propagating signals selected from a group comprising IR, RF, light and electrical signals via a plurality of ports selected from a group comprising at least one input, at least one output, at least one adjustable input, at least one adjustable output, said converter circuit, and combinations thereof;

a distributor circuit including at least one said driver circuit for distributing said electrical signals to low voltage devices of said automation network selected from a group comprising a keypad, said driver circuit, said converter circuit, a receiver for current sensor signal, a touch screen, a controller, a USB driver, a USB converter, and combinations thereof and said light signal to power devices selected from a group comprising appliances, light bulbs, light fixtures, power switches, power relays, power outlets, power plugs and combinations thereof; and

a keypad circuit, a current sensor adaptor circuit, a power cable assembly circuit, a power outlet circuit, a power switch circuit and combinations thereof.

9. The method to integrate an electrical operated appliance into an automation network according to claim 3, wherein said electrical operated appliance is an LED light bulb and said optical access is provided through a base of said LED light bulb and said loading includes mix data selected from a group comprising said location, individual light address, color select program, illumination select program, level select program and combinations thereof via a loader selected from a group comprising hand held remote control unit including loading adaptor for a threaded said base, hand held remote control unit including loading adaptor for a plug-in said base and a self-contained data loader including at least one of said threaded base and said plug-in base.

10. The method to integrate an electrical operated appliance into an automation network according to claim 4, wherein said electrical operated appliance is an LED light bulb and said single optical access is provided through a base of said LED light bulb and said loading includes mix data selected from a group comprising said location, individual light address, color select program, illumination select program, level select program and combinations thereof via a loader selected from a group comprising hand held remote control unit including loading adaptor for a threaded said base, hand held remote control unit including loading adaptor for a plug-in said base and a self-contained data loader including at least one of said threaded base and said plug-in base.

11. The method to integrate an electrical operated appliance into an automation network according to claim 9, wherein said self-contained data loader provides for printing one of the whole and a portion of the particulars of said mix data appended to said bulb.

12. The method to integrate an electrical operated appliance into an automation network according to claim 10, wherein said self-contained data loader provides for printing one of a whole and a portion of the particulars of said mix data loaded to said bulb.

13. The method to integrate an electrical operated appliance into an automation network according to claim 8, wherein a protocol of said network commands are composed of a header for identifying said signal, a checksum trailer and at least three data blocks comprising sub header codes for identifying a nature of command of at least one of said operating and said acknowledging, link codes for identifying a control source, a source location and said location of said electrical operated appliance and ID codes containing function commands of said at least one of said operating and said acknowledging to and by at least one of said electrical operated appliance and said relay.

14. The method to integrate an electrical operated appliance into an automation network according to claim 13, wherein said function commands include commands selected from a group comprising download, update and combinations thereof for enabling a string of data exchange between said network devices selected from the group comprising said converter, said driver, said distributor, said power relay, said keypad, said controller, current sensor adaptor, said current sensor receiver, said power outlet, said power plug and between said network devices and said electrical operated appliance.

15. The method to integrate an electrical operated appliance into an automation network according to claim 13, wherein same said link codes and said ID codes are exchanged for at least one of said operating and said acknowledging and wherein said operating including said loading and said acknowledging are differentiated by said sub header codes.

16. The method to integrate an electrical operated appliance into an automation network according to claim 13, wherein same said ID codes for at least one of operate and acknowledge of at least one of a basic function and an extended function are differentiated by said sub header codes.

17. The method to integrate an electrical operated appliance into an automation network according to claim 13, wherein at least one of same ID codes and different ID codes for said at least one of operating and acknowledging selected from a group comprising same appliances, different appliances, same relay circuits, different relay circuits and combinations thereof are differentiated by said sub header codes.

18. The method to integrate an electrical operated appliance into an automation network according to claim 8, wherein said electrical operated appliance is at least one of an alarm and an emergency device and said distributor propagates at least one of alarm and emergency command via one of said controller and a USB driver via a PC through a network selected from a group comprising, private, dedicated, public, the Internet and combinations thereof.

19. The method to integrate an electrical operated appliance into an automation network according to claim 18, wherein said emergency command opens an hands free voice communication via one of a video interphone monitor and an audio system including speaker and a microphone via said network selected from a group comprising, private, dedicated, public, the Internet and combinations thereof.

20. A data structure for loading into a control medium configured to store setting information of at least one of a location and a type of an appliance associated with remote control commands of an automation network of premises, said data structure composed of a header for identifying a signal of said remote control selected from a group comprising visual light, IR, RF and electrical signal, a checksum trailer and at least three data blocks comprising;

sub header codes for identifying a nature of a command selected from a group comprising loading, updating, operating and acknowledging, link codes for identifying a source control, a source location and said location of said electrical operated appliance, and ID codes containing function commands commensurate with said loading, updating, operating and acknowledging of at least one of said electrical operated appliance and a relay circuit associated with said automation network and said electrical operated appliance including a status of said loading and updating.

21. The data structure for loading according to claim 20, wherein said relay circuit is selected from a group comprising a converter circuit for converting electrical signal to light signal, light signal to electrical signal, electrical signal to IR signal, IR signal to electrical signal, electrical signal to RF signal, RF signal to electrical signal, light signal to IR signal, IR signal to Light signal, light signal to RF signal, RF signal to light signal, IR signal to RF signal, RF signal to IR signal, electrical signal to buffered electrical signal, IR signal to buffered IR signal, RF signal to buffered RF signal, light signal to buffered light signal and combinations thereof for propagating the signals at least one of one way and bidirectional;

a driver circuit for propagating signals selected from a group comprising IR, RF, light and electrical signals via a plurality of ports selected from a group comprising at least one input, at least one output, at least one adjustable input, at least one adjustable output, said converter circuit and combinations thereof;

a distributor circuit including at least one said driver circuit for distributing said electrical signals to low voltage devices of said automation network selected from a group comprising a keypad, said driver circuit, said converter, a receiver for current sensor signal, a touch screen, a controller, a USB driver, a USB converter, and combinations thereof and said light signals to power devices selected from a group comprising appliances, light bulbs, light fixtures, power switches, power relays, power outlets, power plugs and combinations thereof; and

a keypad circuit, a current sensor adaptor circuit, a power cable assembly circuit, a power outlet circuit, a power switch circuit and combinations thereof.

22. The data structure for loading according to claim 21, wherein said function commands selected from a group comprising loading and updating enables to transfer a string of data between said relay circuits, between said relay circuits and low voltage devices of said automation network, between said low voltage devices of said automation network and said electrical operated appliance, between said relay circuits and power devices and between said relay circuits and said electrical operated appliance.

23. The data structure for loading according to claim 20, wherein same said link codes and said ID codes are exchanged for at least one of said operating and said acknowledging and wherein said operating including one of loading and updating are differentiated from said acknowledging by said sub header codes.

24. The data structure for loading according to claim 20, wherein same said ID codes are differentiated for at least one of operate and acknowledge for at least one of a basic functions and an extended functions by said sub header codes.

25. An apparatus for integrating an electrical operated appliance into an automation network of premises by introducing an identifying data of at least one of a location and a type of said electrical operated appliance via one of loaded into a medium associated with said electrical operated appliance for storing setting data and appended to an original commands protocol of a remote control of said electrical operated appliance via at least one of a memory and a setting switch;

said location is arbitrary set and said electrical operated appliance is operated by at least one of receiving operate command and responding by transmitting status command via at least one of a remote control circuit included in said apparatus and a relay circuit;

said remote control circuit include a receiver and a transmitter for at least one of receive and transmit signal of said remote control, a digital signal processor, and at least one of said memory and said setting switch; and

wherein at least one of said medium and said commands protocol is one of loaded and appended with said identifying data by a setting selected from a group comprising direct loading to said memory, said operate command to update said memory, by at least one said setting switch and combinations thereof for enabling said electrical operated appliance to remotely link for at least one of operate and acknowledge its status on a basis of said identifying data.

26. The apparatus for integrating an electrical operated appliance into an automation network according to claim 25, wherein said signal is selected from a group comprising a visual light signal, an IR signal, a UV signal, an RF signal, a low voltage electrical signal and combinations thereof.

27. The apparatus for integrating an electrical operated appliance into an automation network according to claim 25, wherein at least one of an IR signal and a visual light signal and said at least one of a receiver and a transmitter include an optical access for receiving commands via one of a lightguide and in air in line of sight.

28. The apparatus for integrating an electrical operated appliance into an automation network according to claim 25, wherein at least one of an IR signal and a visual light signal and said receiver and said transmitter are packaged into a transceiver with a single optical access for bidirectionally propagating commands via a single lightguide.

29. The apparatus for integrating an electrical operated appliance into an automation network according to claim 25, wherein a local location is included in the appended identifying data in addition to said arbitrary set location for operating said electrical operated appliance from within an appliance location.

30. The apparatus for integrating an electrical operated appliance into an automation network according to claim 29, wherein commands of said automation network are updated with particulars selected from a group comprising a location, said type, a portion of said original commands protocol, a whole of said original commands and combinations thereof and said electrical operated appliance is programmed to respond to commands selected from a group comprising said original commands, said original commands when an appended data match, said appended data match, said original commands when said appended data is local, said network commands when an updated particulars match, said network commands when said updated particulars is local and combinations thereof.

31. The apparatus for integrating an electrical operated appliance into an automation network according to claim 25, wherein one of a wireless remote control unit of said electrical operated appliance and said automation network is used for loading at least one of said identifying data and command particulars into said memory of at least one of said electrical operated appliance and said relay circuit, wherein said command particulars pertain to at least one of said operating and said acknowledging of said electrical operated appliance via one of direct and said relay circuit.

32. The apparatus for integrating an electrical operated appliance into an automation network according to claim 25, wherein said relay circuit is selected from a group comprising a converter circuit for converting electrical signal to light signal, light signal to electrical signal, electrical signal to IR signal, IR signal to electrical signal, electrical signal to RF signal, RF signal to electrical signal, light signal to IR signal, IR signal to Light signal, light signal to RF signal, RF signal to light signal, IR signal to RF signal, RF signal to IR signal, electrical signal to buffered electrical signal, IR signal to buffered IR signal, RF signal to buffered RF signal, light signal to buffered light signal and combinations thereof for propagating the signals at least one of one way and bidirectional;

a driver circuit for propagating signals selected from a group comprising IR, RF, light and electrical signals via a plurality of ports selected from a group comprising at least one input, at least one output, at least one adjustable input, at least one adjustable output, said converter circuit and combinations thereof;

a distributor circuit including at least one said driver circuit for distributing said electrical signals to low voltage devices of said automation network selected from a group comprising a keypad, said driver circuit, said converter circuit, a receiver for current sensor signal, a touch screen, a controller, a USB driver, a USB converter, and combinations thereof and said light signals to power devices selected from a group comprising appliances, light bulbs, light fixtures, power switches, power relays, power outlets, power plugs and combinations thereof; and

a keypad circuit, a current sensor adaptor circuit, a power cable assembly circuit, a power outlet circuit, a power switch circuit and combinations thereof.

33. The apparatus for integrating an electrical operated appliance into an automation network according to claim 27, wherein said electrical operated appliance is an LED light bulb and said optical access is provided through a base of said LED light bulb and loaded data further include mix data selected from a group comprising said location, individual light address, color select program, illumination select program, level select program and combinations thereof via a loader selected from a group comprising hand held remote control unit including loading adaptor for a threaded said base, hand held remote control unit including loading adaptor for a plug-in Raid base and a self-contained data loader including at least one of said threaded base and said plug-in base.

34. The apparatus for integrating an electrical operated appliance into an automation network according to claim 28, wherein said electrical operated appliance is an LED light bulb and said optical access is provided through a base of said LED light bulb and loaded data further include mix data selected from a group comprising said location, individual light address, color select program, illumination select program, level select program and combinations thereof via a loader selected from a group comprising hand held remote control unit including loading adaptor for a threaded said base, hand held remote control unit including loading adaptor for a plug-in said base and a self-contained data loader including at least one of said threaded base and said plug-in base.

35. The apparatus for integrating an electrical operated appliance into an automation network according to claim 33, wherein said self-contained data loader provides for printing one of a whole and a portion of particulars of said mix data loaded to said bulb.

36. The apparatus for integrating an electrical operated appliance into an automation network according to claim 34, wherein said self-contained data loader provides for printing one of the whole and a portion of particulars of said mix data loaded to said bulb.

37. The apparatus for integrating an electrical operated appliance into an automation network according to claim 25, wherein said relay circuit is included in a power plug and said switch setting of at least one of said arbitrary location and said type is provided via one of said memory and said at least one setting switch.

38. The apparatus for integrating an electrical operated appliance into an automation network according to claim 25, wherein said relay circuit is included in a current sensor adaptor and said setting of at least one of said arbitrary location and said type is provided via one of said memory and said at least one setting switch.

39. The apparatus for integrating an electrical operated appliance into an automation network according to claim 25, wherein said relay circuit is included in a power outlet and said switch setting of at least one of said arbitrary location and said type is provided via one of said memory and said at least one setting switch.